Thematic Gardens Measure Up
By: Eve Pranis
Challenges with basic math concepts -- perimeter and area -- dogged many students at a K-5 school in Leeds, AL. On another front, the faculty was looking for inspiration on how to use gardens to enrich learning in different disciplines. "As we considered both challenges, we hit on a solution that might help boost students' grasp of math and engage them in learning across the curriculum," explains enrichment teacher Shirley Farrell. "First, I shared what I knew about the concept of square-foot gardening, then we brainstormed possible growing themes."
A local Eagle Scout in search of a final project offered to build 15 3- by 3-foot boxes (beds), separated by paths, to launch the project. Shirley next worked with individual teachers to plan thematic classroom gardens, then together considered how to use each unique square-foot patch to support curriculum goals. Finally, students and teachers planned, planted, and learned, square by square. "Each grade has at least one 3- by 3-foot bed featuring a different theme," explains Shirley. For instance, cereal bowl and sunflower gardens engage younger grades, while one class of older students creates gardens with fiber and dye plants.
During the planning and planting phase, math concepts -- measurement, perimeter, area -- came to life. Younger students, for instance, used 12-inch straws to mark off each of nine square feet in their garden boxes. "Long before planting the gardens, students in each class conducted research or activities to prompt their thinking and understanding about their chosen theme," says Shirley. They also were charged with figuring out what types of plants their gardens should sport.
Cereal Bowl Discoveries
Cereal boxes set the stage for first grade inquiries. Students tried to find pictures of plants on the cereal boxes they had brought in. With help from the teacher, they read the ingredient lists, then placed signs on the board to indicate which plants they'd discovered in their cereal: corn, wheat, rice, sunflower oil, and so on. A local farm store donated many of those seeds, and others came from a seed catalog. "We conjectured about how tall each plant might grow, then I gave each student a 3- by 3-foot grid on which to map out a vision for the garden," says Shirley. The class reviewed and discussed the designs, then agreed on a final planting map. "Some of the kids were amazed to see grass growing where we had planted our seeds, and they wanted to pull it up," explains Shirley. That prompted a discussion about how vital grasses are to our own nutrition.